The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-12
MEXICAN PENSIONS.
The Veterans Will Have to Wait Because
There Is no Money to Pay Clerks.

The Veterans Will Have to Wait Because
There Is no Money to Pay Clerks.
Washington Special.
One Of the troublesome questions of the pres.
ent is that Of placing survivors of the Mexican
war or their widows on the pension list Seven
million dollars would be available for that pur-
pose we're it possible to do the necessary work in
the Pension Office. Commissioner Black asked
for an extra force Of $50 clerks so that he might
make the necessary examinations and place
those entitled to pensions on account of services
IN the Mexican war on the rolls by the 1st of
July. Congress, however, failed to appropriate
single dollar for the purpose, and the veterans
who fought under Scott and Taylor will have to
wait indefinitely. 1t is impossible to do the ex-
ira work with the present force in the Pension
Office without neelectng the pressing cases of
soldiers Of the civil war. The number of entirely
new cases the latter account during the
| months of January and February just past are
$500 in excess Of the number of new cases filed
during the same months last year. and they are
still rolling in.
The great increase is probably owing to the
great rush of soldiers who never applied for peg
sions before, and who do not expect to get any
thing under existing laws; but they coming
in to make record in anticipation Of the gener-
al pension legislation which has been expected
for year or two past.
The general tendency in nearly every Con-
gress since the close Of the war of the Rebellion
has been to extend the range of government
bounty. The veto of the dependent bill was
check, but has not destroyed the hope that all
Union soldiers will be finally pensoned This
makes tremendous enlargement of the busi-
ness Of the Commissioners Office. Even with
out the new cases above noted there is enough
business pertaining to soldiers of the late un-
peasantness to prevent immediate consideration
of the Mexican claims Commissioner Black is
much disappointed on account Of his inability.
under the circumstances, to get the Mexican vet
| erans and their dependents, numbering together
| something like fortythousand on the rolls
Indiana alone has about six hundred survivors,
| and there are six hundred in addition from that
| State who would be entitled TO the benefits of
| the law. Ohio, Kentucky. Tennessee and Ill-
| nois also present large numbers. The average
age of the survivors OF the Mexican war is
about sixty five years, and much longer delay
/ will put the government in the unenviable atti-
| tude of withholding its acknowledged debt to its
long waiting soldiers until death has stepped in
| to cancel the obligation. But the number of
| old men who fought for the Union in the sixties
| and who are awaiting the determination of their
| pension cases. is much larger, and it is not
deemed wise to interrupt the progress of their
| adjudication.
| Ii the Fifteth Congress makes prompt pro-
| vision for the necessary additional force of
| clerks. 1t is possible to get the Mexican claim
ants on the roll by the 1st of April, 1888 There
| is no hope for them before that time Mean
time there will. doubtless. be vast multiplied
| tion of useless correspondence with the Pension
| Department